Happy feet - Foot care for crawlers

Crawling can be a very exasperating stage, as you may find yourself having to keep an eye on your baby all the time, because it is crawling all over the house!

Though being barefoot is the best footwear for your baby in the crawling stage, there may be a necessity of special shoes that have arches. This is advised only in babies whose foot arches show no signs of proper development.

Crawling is a way for babies to explore the world out there on their own and they go at it in full steam. Once they know that they can push themselves forward by supporting their bodies on all fours, there is no stopping them. Parent alertness is very crucial in this stage. It is important that you keep potentially harmful things out of the baby’s reach.

Crawling doesn’t require you to invest in shoes. Paediatricians advice that being barefoot is the best way to be at this stage for babies.

Baby feet are not made up of bones. They are made up of cartilages that grow on to become strong and eventually form bones. Hence this is not the time to keep your baby’s feet trapped in shoes.

Almost all babies are born flat-footed. With the development of the bones and cartilages, the arch of the foot also develops. Shoes can prove to be restrictive in the development of arches.

As the baby crawls on the floor, the carpet, the bed, the different textures that come to the baby’s sensations help in the development of strong leg muscles.

Thus it is best to leave your baby barefoot. In cold weather though, it is advisable to put on a pair of warm socks as babies tend to catch cold pretty soon.